Lane gas station no longer has gas

LANE, OK - Same story, different day. Gas prices are rising and it seems there may not be any end to it. Gas in Texoma has jumped another couple cents from $3.24 to about $3.29 on average. And it’s the same thing across the county.

Diesel is closer than it’s ever been to four dollars a gallon and sources say gas could near the four dollar mark by summertime.

Some truckers did strike last week, in response to the cost of diesel. But, they say like most drivers, they have no choice but to pay up. If you live in Lane, Oklahoma, high prices or not, two stations didn't even have the gas to sell earlier today.

Customers had to drive at least 10 miles to Atoka, just to get fuel. Mystic Matthews has more.

One of those stations is back up and running, but the other still has an issue and no answer yet.

It wasn't because business owner Mark Finch couldn't pay for gas at Mr. G's, "Thought I could make it until Tuesday, didn't happen. We sold more gas than anticipated. We were just late on getting the order in and getting it here."

However customers like Clyde Carroll say it’s a different story less than a mile down the road at Lane Handy Mart. Mom and pop stores operate on credit and they didn't pay for last gas, how they going to going to get another tank."

An employee said the Handy Mart's owner has been in the hospital and doesn't know when -- or if -- they will be able to get another shipment of fuel.

“It’s all just going up, until we put a stop to it where people can do something. We've got to do something about it. Cause nobody else will.”

Lynch says even with gas prices the way they are, people are still buying. “Everybody has to get to work, so they have to buy the gas to get them there."

They just aren't coming inside. “It slows down inside sales because people have to spend money on gas because of higher prices.

Either way, customers say they can't stop paying for gas if they want to work, but Carroll says something has to be done and soon. “Maybe if prices were a little lower, everybody could afford to compete, but the higher the prices, the less competition. And the person who's got the money is going to win."

Lynch says he just spent money putting in new storage tanks and pumps, so he can't afford to stop selling gas anytime soon. As for Lane's Handy Mart, who's owner we couldn't reach today, only time will tell.

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